The Top 4. Can we get there?

I think its teething problems for our attacking, passing philosophy yes, but the defense is nothing other than psychological now. Even if we had 2 of the worst CBs in the country they could do better than this. We literally can not defend against any period, not prolonged, ANY PERIOD of pressure towards the end of a match. We basically sh*t ourselves and do everything wrong. I think this stems from MAINLY, that we have it in our heads now how poor we are. If you look at all our goals conceded from sets or long balls in, even the lower teams are better at defending them then we are, so that has to suggest its psychological as opposed technical ability.

Hyypia and Carragher are born leaders, and so was Reina, who's always shouting at his team mates from the back. Agree that there is probably a psychological problem with our defenders and that is probably due to lack of leadership at the back. Mignolet, while having good reflexes and shot-stopping skills, does not have the same leadership that Reina has. Lovren is a young lad and Skrtel is no Hyypia and Carragher. Like many, I wish we had kept Agger. There's lots of potential in Lovren, Mignolet and Sakho but here's hoping our defence gets it sorted out sooner rather than later.

Hyypia and Carragher are born leaders, and so was Reina, who's always shouting at his team mates from the back. Agree that there is probably a psychological problem with our defenders and that is probably due to lack of leadership at the back. Mignolet, while having good reflexes and shot-stopping skills, does not have the same leadership that Reina has. Lovren is a young lad and Skrtel is no Hyypia and Carragher. Like many, I wish we had kept Agger. There's lots of potential in Lovren, Mignolet and Sakho but here's hoping our defence gets it sorted out sooner rather than later.

As mad as it may seem, Toure should be starting so. Lovren would be dropped in any team for the way he has played. Skrtel is only as good as the CB he is playing with. Sakho must start when he comes back but alas BR will persist with Lovren instead of given him the time out he needs to get his head right. Introduce him for the last 10 of every game we are winning and drop to 3 at the back. We have to stop leaking goals.

Yeah we can finish top 4. Worth remembering that we started last season playing pretty sh*t as well. We got away with a lot by just sitting deep and hitting balls over the top for sturridge on the counter.
I think we'll get better as the season goes on, like last year.

Obviously our defence is the main problem. But again it was last year too.
One thing is that man u, arsenal and spurs are sh*t defensively n all - the standard in england is really poor in fact. The chavs are the only top side that actually defend well.
The annoying thing is that individually we have better defensive options than the 3 teams i mentioned, so could be defending better.

Anyway, no suarez means no title challenge, but top 4 - yeah i still think we will.

It's no wind up at all.

What have UTD got to do with it?

I use West Ham and Southampton as example's because they are simply playing better football than we are, as are Swansea and West Brom for that matter. We have become, mediocre.

Have you not even noticed that Steven Gerrard's post match interviews are all very negative and very acknowledging of the fact we are lucky!

Forget our league position, we are extremely flattered to be in 5th. West Ham and Southampton are where their football suggests they should be. We are not. How we are lying where we are, is astonishing.

It is a fact that we have been outplayed by West Ham, Aston Villa and QPR.... QPR???

We were no better than Everton, West Brom and Southampton, made to look mediocre by Middlesbrough, Ludogorets and Basel and Man City taught us a Footballing lesson, so forget the fact we have a load of midfield talent, we have lost all the midfield battles since the Tottenham result and they certainly are not going to prevent us from conceding goals, and with all due respect, they aren't doing much in front of goal either.

But it's ok, we have Real Madrid tonight.

I brought the mancs into it because in my opinion they are the only genuine competition. Us, mancs, arsenal, Chelsea and city will complete the top 5 and I think it'll be between us and the mancs who will battle it out for fourth.

The mancs have some impressive firepower and don't have any extra football in Europe, they can focus on the league.

Spurs and everton are in that curse of a Europa league and won't have the legs to compete for a CL spot.

I'm not even going to debate with you over whether Southampton or west ham can finish inside the top 4 

Yes we've been sh*te so far but so what. The fact remains - we are still in Europe, we are still in the cup, we are 5th in the league level on 4th and weve played 4 tough fixtures out of 8 PL games - Southampton, everton, city and spurs.

Imagine when we find our form.

Time (2days it would appear) is a great healer or atleast enough for the pain to subside. Win the next two PL games and everything will look rosey. Paper over the cracks until we can fix the structure. Must win the next 2 though. Draws against these two wont be enough, after the start we have had.

Can we get top 4 ?

Lets look at what did get us there.

A small BBC Sport tribute today to our crazy diamond.

My favourite .   Goal number 5 . Genius.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29748709

Football is mad, between Arsenal, Spurs, us and Man Utd - not one of us seems to have a decent defender. How much money has been wasted on defenders who can't do the basics. Everton have the best defence.

So yes we can still get 4th.

Can we get top 4 ?

Lets look at what did get us there.

A small BBC Sport tribute today to our crazy diamond.

My favourite .   Goal number 5 . Genius.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29748709

I miss him so much.

No.2 is just sheer quality.

They all are though.

I miss him so much.

No.2 is just sheer quality.

They all are though.

It wasnt just his goals.

He motivated the whole team by his effort and perhaps we didnt realise what a large hole would be left .

Yes we can, and yes we will. I think we'll be fourth.

Considering Van Gaal is adapting slowly to the Premier League and Wenger definitely looks to be a man in decline, I am confident we can get top 4 this season without being particularly great.

Yea we can do top 4, I think the title is slipping away quickly though.

It wasnt just his goals.

He motivated the whole team by his effort and perhaps we didnt realise what a large hole would be left .

It wasn't just his motivational aspect, it was his movement off the ball that provided space for Sturridge and our midfielders. We miss that almost as much as we miss his goals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29819951

West Ham: Andy Carroll says club can push for Champions League

West Ham striker Andy Carroll believes the east London club can qualify for the Champions League next season.

Theres hope for us yet ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29819951

West Ham: Andy Carroll says club can push for Champions League

West Ham striker Andy Carroll believes the east London club can qualify for the Champions League next season.

Theres hope for us yet ...

What a way for Carroll to announce he is out for the entire season.

What a way for Carroll to announce he is out for the entire season.

Good one Rodders !

of course we can finish top 4. anyone who thinks teams like southampton or west ham can keep this up is delusional.  i do think southampton are actually playing really good football...but cant see them keeping it going all season. the only question is around our competitors for champs league. chavs are running away with it and city's class and depth will take them all the way. that leaves arsenal, everton, tottenham and united form the rest. although we haven't got going yet, i really believe we are comfortably better than all of them bar arsenal. even with arsenals form, we might even push them for third. people will laugh at me for this...but if we sort out our defensive tactics, we can challenge for title next year.

of course we can finish top 4. anyone who thinks teams like southampton or west ham can keep this up is delusional.  i do think southampton are actually playing really good football...but cant see them keeping it going all season. the only question is around our competitors for champs league. chavs are running away with it and city's class and depth will take them all the way. that leaves arsenal, everton, tottenham and united form the rest. although we haven't got going yet, i really believe we are comfortably better than all of them bar arsenal. even with arsenals form, we might even push them for third. people will laugh at me for this...but if we sort out our defensive tactics, we can challenge for title next year.

+1. Positivity is vital at this point.

Just wondering what Tottenham and the bitters more they can do than what have already done to deserve it as they have to outdo themselves (and this is a bigger than these clubs' trait ) to be sustained in the top four all the way through.

Arsenal are the dark horse. I'd like to see them in December onwards how they gonna do. At this time last season they posed as the number one title contenders and a shortwhile after the fivers and the sixers became their second nature. Wenger seems unable to keep steady pace any more.

United (like our post-Suarez) are going through a transitional post Ferguson era still groping for valid game I.D. with their most renowned signings underperforming.

The top 4 thing is still in our hands nothing more or less than this.
   
 

I think the title for this thread should be The Top 4. Will we get there? and not The Top 4. Can we get there?

The two answers are potentially very different.

For me the difference this year compared to last so far is the injury to Sturridge.

Remember Suarez was banned for the start of last season too.

Brilliant posting Billy, 
There is not one point that cannot be argued with,
If there was a template out there to describe what is expected of a true Liverpool fan,  well I'd like to see it,
Your the epitome of what a Liverpool should be, I doff my hat Sir, I love Liverpool fc with all my heart but I'm happy to admit that although as passionate as most I won't ever reach the level of passion and belief that you have, total respect.

I think a lot of posters/supporters should take a page from your book mate if I'm honest and start believing in their team more, maybe then our support will get back to somewhere near how it used to be.

YNWA

  I've just been laughing my head off reading the last couple of posts from him.

We all hope to win the league and we all hope to win every match we play.

But his attitude is that of a ten year old 'We are going to win every match 10-0 and Stevie G will score all 10 goals!!!!!'

We are sitting in 11th place in the league, 15 points behind Chelsea after 11 games. So because he says we will still win the league this season and he will continue to believe that until its mathematically impossible makes him some superior fan does it? In my opinion he is just being childish and daft.

There are a handful of Liverpool fans still living in the 80s I'm afraid.

Back to the topic question. We are four points off fourth and haven't hit form yet. We desperately need Danny back. Once he is, I think we'll comfortably finish inside the top four. We are lucky that the competition this year is poor.

I've just been laughing my head off reading the last couple of posts from him.

We all hope to win the league and we all hope to win every match we play.

But his attitude is that of a ten year old 'We are going to win every match 10-0 and Stevie G will score all 10 goals!!!!!'

We are sitting in 11th place in the league, 15 points behind Chelsea after 11 games. So because he says we will still win the league this season and he will continue to believe that until its mathematically impossible makes him some superior fan does it? In my opinion he is just being childish and daft.

There are a handful of Liverpool fans still living in the 80s I'm afraid.

Back to the topic question. We are four points off fourth and haven't hit form yet. We desperately need Danny back. Once he is, I think we'll comfortably finish inside the top four. We are lucky that the competition this year is poor.

No need mate.

Billy is a top poster and a cracking bloke .... pretty much all I have to say.

No need mate.

Billy is a top poster and a cracking bloke .... pretty much all I have to say.

I'm sure he is - he has made over 16k posts.

We won't win the league this season though clearly, so why say we will?

It doesn't make you any more of a Liverpool fan for saying 'Until it is mathematically impossible I believe Liverpool will win the league'.

This topic is a genuine one. It is possible that we won't finish inside the top four this season. I was hoping for a realistic discussion and not a 'We are Liverpool FC and we are great and we will win the league every year' type response.

We can reach anything from 2nd to 6th or 7th! thisnis the truth of the matter

every team, bar Chelsea are there for the taking, we need a run of form to put us back in contention

I know its stating the obvious but i think thats all thats needed